Catawba’s Powers, Courson Named Volleyball Players Of The Week

ROCK HILL, S.C. ­- Catawba College senior middle blocker Melissa Powers (Bennett, N.C.) is this week's South Atlantic Conference volleyball Player of the Week. Catawba College freshman setter Megan Courson (Statesville, N.C.) is the SAC volleyball Specialist of the Week.

Powers led Catawba to three wins last week, including a pair of league road wins. The SAC victories helped Catawba climb into a tie for second in the league standings. The senior averaged 5.7 kills and 2.9 digs over the 10 sets during the week.

For the week, Powers hit .521 percent and added seven aces and seven blocks. She posted 28 kills and hit at .615 percent clip in a win at Tusculum College Friday. She added five blocks. Powers posted a double-double at Mars Hill College Saturday with 13 kills and 18 digs. With Catawba trailing the Mars Hill 18-14 in set three, Powers served 10 straight points (including three aces) to help Catawba take a 24-18 lead and close out the match.

Melissa Powers

Megan Courson

For the season, Powers leads Catawba in kills (4.3 per set), blocks (0.95 per set) and aces (0.41 per set) and stands fourth in digs (1.6 per set). A two-time first team All-SAC performer, Powers was an AVCA honorable mention All-American in 2007.

Courson's play was critical to Catawba's good fortune, as the Indians won three times thanks to her precise sets. The freshman averaged 13 assists per set as the Indians hit 34 percent as a team over three matches. She chipped in with five kills, 20 digs, two aces and a pair of blocks for the week. Courson had a double-double in the three-set win over UNC Pembroke Tuesday with 46 assists and 10 digs. She had 48 assists in the four-set win at Tusculum as Catawba hit at .402 over the final three sets to rally from a 1-0 deficit.

Both Powers and Courson have received SAC weekly honors twice each this season.

The SAC Volleyball Players of the Week are determined by a vote of the sports information directors of the league.